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 June 21, 2009 DRAFT 2.9 Assembled By Lyle Brecht
Theopolitics of Health Care
in America
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Today, in America, there are two forcing functions driving an immediate need for reform of the U.S. health caresystem:(1) the large number of uninsured. This is a national security issue. Today, millions of citizens do not haveaccess to primary care. In the advent of a pandemic, this situation could prove catastrophic. Also, having thismany people neglecting basic care requirements may cost the economy as much as $1,000 billion annually inlost productivity.(2) the U.S. system of health care is expensive and does not produce the best health care results. The highcosts drain needed capital from other areas of the economy to create jobs, invest in new technology, addressclimate change, solve environmental degradation problems, educate our children, invest in publictransportation options, etc. as most other developed countries are doing today.National security threats are: “actions that can degrade the quality of life for the inhabitants of a state orsignificantly narrow the range of policy options available to the government or private citizens of a state” -Richard Ullman, Redefining Security (1983). U.S. National Security Strategy (2006): "Public health challengeslike pandemics (HIV/AIDS, avian influenza) ... recognize no borders. The risks to social order are so great thattraditional public health approaches may be inadequate, necessitating new strategies and responses.”
 
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Pandemics
“Each year 300 million cases of malaria kill two million people. An estimated 3% of the world
ʼ
s population - 170million people - is chronically infected with hepatitis C virus. About four million people are newly infected eachyear, 80% of whom will progress to a chronic infection associated with cirrhosis in about 20% and liver cancerin about 5%. One third of the world is infected with the bacterium that causes tuberculosis with 10 millioncases every year accounting for two million deaths.“Approximately 40 million people worldwide are infected with HIV, which killed 3.9 million people in 2005. InRussia, Vladimir Putin just recommended financial incentives to citizens to increase fertility because the deathrate outstrips the birth rate. While cardiovascular deaths lead the list, the incidence of HIV/AIDS andtuberculosis are on the rise. In recognition of this demographic nightmare, Russia will make the prevention andcontrol of infectious diseases one of the priorities of the upcoming G8 summit in St. Petersburg.“Some lethal pandemics are still not as well known to the general public. For example, an ongoing cholerapandemic started in Indonesia in 1961 is causing close to 120,000 deaths per year.”Harvey Rubin, M.D, Ph.D., is Director, University of Pennsylvania Institute for Strategic Threat Analysis andResponse (ISTAR), and a Professor of Medicine, Microbiology and Computer Science, “A New, GlobalApproach to Pandemics and National Security” (May 30, 2006).
 
The World Health Organization's rankingof the world's health systems (2000)
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1 France2 Italy 3 San Marino4 Andorra5 Malta6 Singapore7 Spain8 Oman9 Austria10 Japan11 Norway 12 Portugal13 Monaco14 Greece15 Iceland16 Luxembourg17 Netherlands18 United Kingdom19 Ireland20 Switzerland21 Belgium22 Colombia23 Sweden24 Cyprus25 Germany 26 Saudi Arabia27 United Arab Emirates28 Israel29 Morocco30 Canada31 Finland32 Australia33 Chile34 Denmark35 Dominica36 Costa Rica
37 U. S.
38 Slovenia39 Cuba40 Brunei41 New Zealand42 Bahrain43 Croatia44 Qatar45 Kuwait46 Barbados47 Thailand48 Czech Republic49 Malaysia50 Poland
The World Health Organization has carried out the first ever analysis of the world
ʼ
s health systems. Using fiveperformance indicators to measure health systems in 191 member states, it finds that France provides the bestoverall health care followed among major countries by Italy, Spain, Oman, Austria and Japan.The U. S. health system spends a higher portion of its gross domestic product than any other country butranks 37 out of 191 countries according to its performance, the report finds. The United Kingdom, whichspends just six percent of gross domestic product (GDP) on health services, ranks 18th . Several smallcountries – San Marino, Andorra, Malta and Singapore are rated close behind second- placed Italy.WHO
ʼ
s assessment system was based on five indicators: overall level of population health; health inequalities(or disparities) within the population; overall level of health system responsiveness (a combination of patientsatisfaction and how well the system acts); distribution of responsiveness within the population (how wellpeople of varying economic status find that they are served by the health system); and the distribution of thehealth system
ʼ
s financial burden within the population (who pays the costs)."In many countries without a health insurance safety net, many families have to pay more than 100 percent oftheir income for health care when hit with sudden emergencies. In other words, illness forces them into debt."
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Lyle, Great job of pulling so much info together and framing the 2 starting points. since you asked, I'll spout The growth of the growth of administration (popping way up in the 90's) is so huge (and $ consuming) that it begs/deservers more detailed investigation and explanation. The Health Care Infrastructure illustration showing the finite resources does not appear to include the army of adnimistrators, insurance companies... There is no mention of the previous business models that did not have such rampant runaway costs annually (community hospotals...) And the fact that nurses spend 19 hrs per week on admin is burried. If money is time, where is the time going today as opposed to pre 90's? What are the factors that are driving up the costs? Can they be listed and the beneficiaries be identified. That leads back to the 3rd page with the uncle sam poster. You might be able to find graphics that better support your write-up about the money/interests that will be spent to shape/bend/warp the debate. Maybe a (collection of) Cartoons of lobbiests, politicians in their pockets, consumers, Maybe a list of insurance company manes, medical device manufacturers, managed care facilities,... I don't remember seeing anything on Medicare, and how it is a single payer plan. thAnd its role in our health care system. Since for most workers (_%) it covers us when employer sponsored plans have ended, and we are at our most needy for med care. I like the tie in to the direct impact this has on our industries uncompetitive costs of production, And recommend adding some specifics. I also like the use of the cartoon graphic of the auto(US) crushed by the apple of health care costs. But I think the point you make in beneath it begs to be screamed out "IF THE VAST MAJORITY OF NEW JOBS GROWTH ARE GOING TO BE IN SMALL BUSINESSES, THEN WE BETTER HAVE A HEALTH CARE SYSTEM THAT KEYS ON SUPPORTING SMALL BUSINESS." I heard an author on NPR discussing the high relative cost differences in McAllen, Tx vs. Mayo clinic and the level of care received. The terms defensive medicine came up often, but so did the fact that the Drs were being paid to send patients to expensive treatments (some owned by the Drs. Conflicts of interest were not disclosed, shopping for price is not done in this biz - it has been killed over the years, because we trust our drs. And now we find out about the range of conflicts of interest. Can you include a list of the types of conflicts of interests in the system, and a list of the costs of procedures, and how profitable they are? Can you, huh, can you? And today I saw an article about the Per center blind review of the ethics codes of our Med Schools, and that some do a really good job of trying to keep the branded pharmas and their influence out of the students faces, so they can focus on the science of patient care, not hte profit. Maybe there is some hope. Thanks for the opportunity to rant. By the way, this year I've had some pretty good health care recently. but wow is it expensive! And it is ammazing what is not covered the way my insurance co slices and dices every event and puts deductables on each part of the process and for each member of the family. My daughter had a really bad headache one day. Her primary sent her for an MRI my out-of-pocket was over $500. Scoping my knee cost $-,000, and a Hernia set me back big time. And I pay $1140 per month not including dental or vision or... so I'm really glad you are working on explaining this. Thanks again -John

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